Center for Quality Assured Reuse in the Construction Sector
Uncertainty about quality, traceability and applicable regulations means that reuse in the construction and real estate industry is often rejected - despite great potential to contribute to increased resource efficiency and significant climate benefits. RISE acts as a national knowledge node and collaboration platform, where construction actors gain rapid access to expertise along the entire reuse chain - from material testing and certification to requirement setting and business development.
New legislation and ambitious climate targets mean that the construction and real estate sector is facing a major transition. Reuse is an important part of this transition, but without clear guidelines on how to handle and assess reclaimed materials, it will be difficult to integrate reuse into the construction process. At the same time, there is growing pressure from clients, legislation and society to change. Without a safe and quality-assured way of working with reuse, we lose both environmental benefits and competitiveness.
Services, testing, and certification
RISE offers comprehensive support for reuse in the construction sector – from inventory to quality assurance and business development. Our services include:
- Quality assurance of concrete elements for reuse
- Quality assurance of other materials and products such as wood, steel, glass
- Reuse of windows
- Increased circularity in construction products and systems
- Resource mapping of construction products
- Material inventory of construction products during demolition and renovation
- Reuse inventory
- Environmental inventory
- Resource mapping of assets (cities and real estate companies)
- Logistics and business models – Circular Business Lab
- Certification of products and individuals
- Testing methodology
- Quality assurance of reused construction products with functional requirements
📞 Contact us
Do you have questions or need guidance regarding services, testing, and certification? Contact Jan Suchorzewski, Market Manager at RISE.
Projects
RISE runs and participates in development projects that promote sustainable construction – from concept and pilot to implementation and dissemination. Some projects in the field of reuse are:
Knowledge sharing and thought leadership
RISE offers knowledge-enhancing initiatives in collaboration with industry players. We promote knowledge and dialogue within sustainable construction and tailor the content to the needs of the target group. Our initiatives include:
- Workshops on reuse
- Roundtable discussions
- Presentations at seminars and conferences
- Foresight analyses
📞 Contact us
Do you have questions about knowledge dissemination, thought leadership, and other initiatives related to education and dialogue? Contact Andreas Huss, project manager at RISE.
Case study
Case study: Reuse of hollow concrete slabs from Ikea Kållered
When the old Ikea store in Kållered outside Gothenburg was demolished, a unique opportunity arose to test the large-scale reuse of prestressed concrete elements. In close collaboration between RISE, NCC, and Framtiden Byggutveckling, around 3,000 square meters of hollow concrete slabs (HD/F) were dismantled, quality assured, and given new life in the Kvarteret Återbruket residential district in Gothenburg.
Results and lessons learned
- Dismantling and reassembly went faster than planned.
- Lifespan assessment: up to 224 years remaining in a dry environment.
- Climate benefit: approximately 37 kg CO₂e/BTA saved compared to new construction.
- Economics benefit from modular design and minimal processing requirements.
- The project has laid the foundation for a Swedish methodology that could become standard.
Contact us
Want to be at the forefront of circular construction? Start your journey towards quality-assured reuse – we will guide you every step of the way. Contact us today.
Contact us
Do you have questions or want to know more about how RISE can support? Don't hesitate to contact us.
